


You Are Waffle-y Cute

by OceanSpray5



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Andrew Rich - Freeform, El is actually Jane "El" Rich, F/M, Terry Ives - Freeform, Terry and Andrew are mentioned, based on that one tweet, with the Eggos, you know the one
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-20
Updated: 2020-03-20
Packaged: 2021-02-28 21:48:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,333
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23234257
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OceanSpray5/pseuds/OceanSpray5
Summary: Mike Wheeler and El Rich both had only been expecting a quick run to the store for breakfast food. What they hadn’t expected was getting a date with their cute new neighbor and sharing said breakfast food for the date, instead. But somehow, neither of them could find it in them to complain one bit.- Mileven meet cute at the store where there's only the last box of Eggo waffles left. Based on that one quarantine tweet where a mom and dad are arguing over the last box of Eggos at the store.
Relationships: Eleven | Jane Hopper/Mike Wheeler
Comments: 13
Kudos: 31





	You Are Waffle-y Cute

**Author's Note:**

> So yeah this is based on that one tweet. It's hurriedly written but I did my best so I hope you all enjoy.
> 
> I know this could work with single parents Mileven in reference of the real tweet but I just can't bring myself to write Mileven currently in or having had past deeply committed relationships with anyone else. They're soulmates so it feels wrong. Nonetheless, I hope you all enjoy it.

El hurried through the aisles of her local Kroger’s, trying to find the frozen food aisle. She had a knack for being able to locate her favorite frozen treat within seconds of entering a store but unfortunately, she had only recently moved to this part of Chicago and had yet to be able to get her best bearings. Locating her favorite waffles wasn’t normally this difficult but soon the reason why became apparent. They simply weren’t in stock.

El had grabbed one of the employees and he’d kindly directed her to where they usually were but informed her that due to the snowstorm blowing through Chicago recently, the deliveries had been delayed and now there were no more Eggos for El to toast and enjoy as her treat for setting up her new apartment in less than a week.

El had only just moved out of the campus dorms, having had more than enough of the harrowing experience. She had saved up enough and her parents had also generously contributed to getting her started in her own apartment right outside the university now that she had entered her junior year of college. Unfortunately, this wasn’t the part of Chicago she usually visited when leaving the campus so she had held off buying groceries until she had enough time to find the grocery store. However, that also meant she was now out of most groceries including her frozen waffles.

After an exhausting week of hauling furniture to make her apartment look exactly how she wanted, and her creepy neighbor’s cat scratching and mewling at her door every 30 minutes, El was officially about to lose it if she didn’t get out of her new house and get some of waffles for herself. Her father and mother, Andrew and Terry, were scheduled to stop by the next day and they had promised to bring her groceries but the Eggos simply couldn’t wait. 

El forlornly walked through the waffle aisle, seeing other brands but her loyalty to Eggos refusing to let her buy them. Nothing could beat Eggos when it came to crispiness and taste anyway. At the very end of the aisle she spotted the empty section that was most likely allotted for her Eggos that were currently stuck in the storm. She supposed she could simply go to another grocery store but El wasn’t exactly keen to trek through the cold another two blocks and find the next story especially if they were out due to late deliveries too.

From the distance El spotted a dark-haired man about her age enter the aisle Eggos section. Clearly he was here for the same purpose she was.

 _‘Sorry buddy,_ ’ El thought. _‘We’re both out of luck today.’_

But to El’s utter surprise, the man reached in one of the shelves and pulled out an Eggo box that had apparently been hidden in the back, out of sight unless one bent down to look. El couldn’t believe she hadn’t seen it before him; especially since she’d been standing in the aisle for longer, uselessly loitering near the other, lesser waffles.

El rushed to the shelf where the young man was still bent over extracting the box, hoping it wasn’t the only one left. To her disappointment it was and the man was holding it, clearly satisfied and ready to head for the check out counter.

El was desperate, and she knew for sure this man wouldn’t care for those waffles and enjoy them with the same sentiment she would. So almost without her mouth’s permission, she spoke, “Wait!”

The man halted in his tracks and turned his attention to El upon her call. For a second, she felt the air get knocked out of her lungs. The man was beautiful. His dark hair was a perfect contrast to his pale cheeks, a light dusting of freckles along his cheekbones and nose almost forming constellations. His dark brown eyes were deep and soulful, making it difficult for her not to drown in them. El almost forgot what she was supposed to say, his appearance had hypnotized her so.

“Um I, I need those Eggos.” El said, a slight stutter prevalent in her speech, not over her shock just yet.

The man raised his eyebrows in confusion.

“These Eggos?” he asked, pointing to the box he had just picked up.

“Yes.” El nodded, smiling almost pleadingly.

The man blinked slowly as if assessing what to do about the situation.

“Um… I realize this is the last box but I still need them for breakfast so…” The man tapered off apologetically. He got ready to leave, clearly understanding the conversation to be over.

El pouted, looking almost offended. The man was pretty but he’d said no. This wasn’t at all how she’d hoped this conversation to go. Of course logically, she hadn’t really expected a stranger to offer up his well scavenged box that she had missed due to her own foolishness. But… she still really wanted those Eggos. Her mouth opened of her own accord and before she even realized what she was saying, she yelled: “I NEED THEM FOR MY CHILDREN.”

El was sure they’d heard her shout all the way in Canada. She was mortified. Especially because she did not, in fact, have any children. She wasn’t even currently _in a relationship_ , let alone one with enough commitment for marriage and kids.

It had gotten the man to pause though. He turned around, slightly incredulous, by her sudden outburst. El really wished the ground would swallow her whole but she had dug her own grave, might as well try her best to plant roses over it by running with the lie. Maybe the beautiful man would believe her and actually give her the Eggos?

The beautiful man in question, was baffled. He clearly did not believe El had kids in any capacity yet wasn’t sure how to articulate it without coming off as judgmental.

“So… My kids really love Eggos and um, it’s hard being a mother and all. Ccan’t say no to them kids right? They clearly need these more than you do. I mean you probably know how to make other breakfast foods right? Kids only know toaster waffles so…”

El realized she wasn’t making the situation any better but really what else could she do? She had lied, quite badly, and was now having to continue to lie and pretend she was a mother when she didn’t even know the first thing about children. She was an only child; this wasn’t her forte at all.

There was a beat of awkward silence as the man thought her argument over. His expression turned from one of extreme confusion to intense seriousness as he clearly came up with a response to her very poor lie and in the most even tone El had ever heard, he spoke: “Ma'am, I'm gonna have to ask you to please Leggo my Eggo.”

Now it was El’s turn to be baffled. The man didn’t look all that far from her either, most likely his words had been as unintentional as her own. They looked at each other for a beat of unsure silence before both dissolved into absolute laughter.

El almost keeled over, she was laughing so hard from the bad pun. It was clearly a testament to how delirious she was because normally Dad puns made her cringe in the worst way, having to listen to her own dork of a dad crack them every night she was home. Her mother was no better, laughing at Andrew’s puns and only encouraging him further.

The man managed to gather himself quicker than El did. He straightened up and looked somewhat embarrassed but somewhat pleased for having cracked such a horrible joke but also making her laugh.

“Look, I’m sorry.” El began after the last of her giggles were over. “I don’t actually have kids. But I’ve been having a really bad day and my new neighbor, Brenner, is an asshole with a cat that’s been scratching at my door even though I told him to keep that mangy thing under control! And I’ve been exhausted from moving my stuff into my new apartment this week and Eggos are sort of my only comfort food away from home and the deliveries are delayed for who knows how long so can I _please_ have this last box of Eggos?”

El took a huge breath, gasping for air after her rant was over. She felt a little guilty dumping and somewhat emotionally blackmailing this complete stranger for Eggos he had clearly grabbed first that she had failed to notice earlier. It wasn’t his fault but El wasn’t one to give up easily either.

“Ok,” the stranger agreed. “But on one condition.”

El looked surprised but relieved, the man had agreed so easily. She quickly nodded to his condition. Anything for the Eggos.

“You have to let me take you out on a date sometime.”

El blanched. The man was cute. Very cute. Handsome, in fact. And she’d be lying if she said that in the past ten minutes or so that they’d been arguing over the last box of frozen waffles she hadn’t been attracted to this tall, dark and-loath as she was to admit it since he had made a _dad joke_ of all things- funny man. Unfortunately, he was still a stranger. El had only begun to think of the pros and cons to agreeing to his offer when the man’s face took on a look of utter panic.

“Shit! I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to put you on the spot like that especially since you just said you were having a bad day and these are your comfort food. I didn’t mean to take advantage or be creepy. Here, take the waffles. I live in the SilverOak flats down the block anyway so I can come back and get these anytime. I’m sorry. I hope you enjoy the waffles!”

And before El even had a chance to blink the man had shoved the last box of Eggos in her hand and quickly left the frozen foods aisle, clearly embarrassed by having demanded such a condition.

If El had any doubts before they had all vanished in that moment, seeing how the man had instantly been concerned by whether or not she’d be creeped out than getting his end of the bargain for the waffles. But apart from that, one fact stuck in her mind the most. SilverOak Flats. That was the apartment building El had just moved into. She quickly rushed after the man.

“Wait!” she called out. He stopped, still looking a little guilty and embarrassed. He looked to the ground as she approached, almost like a scolded child.

 _‘Cute,’_ El’s mind couldn’t help but whisper.

“Did you just say you lived in SilverOak Flats?”

The man looked up at her and nodded.

“I live there too. Just moved in this week actually. We can share the Eggos as our first date?” El offered, simultaneously accepting his offer of a date and deciding on a compromise for the waffles too. He had been kind enough to give them to her, after all.

“But I’m a stranger. You still want to go on a date and invite me to your apartment after I acted like a creep by bargaining your favorite frozen food?” The man seemed to look even more confused now than before.

El giggled.

“A creep wouldn’t be worried about such a thing so I think you’re safe. What’s your name?”

“Mike Wheeler.”

“And I’m Jane Rich but everyone calls me El. See? Now we’re not strangers.”

The man, _Mike_ , let out a snort of laughter at her reasoning.

“Well I see your argument is flawless there, Miss Rich, _El_.” His eyes twinkled. “Are you sure you want to share your comfort food with me especially after a bad day? If you really want to, we can just go on a date whenever you’re feeling better?”

“I really want to Mike,” El said earnestly. “And like I said, my bad day was mostly because of my neighbor Brenner’s cat. I’d actually really love to share these Eggos with you. Besides, they were yours first so it’s only fair you get half.”

“Wait,” Mike said. “You’re the poor person who has to live left of Brenner? His cat’s a menace. I live down the hall but he sure bugs me a lot too!”

“Yes! And I know! The apartment was perfect but no one warned me about the horrible neighbor’s cat! And Brenner himself is a creep too. He has such a cold weird look whenever he greets me when I try and ask him to get his cat under control!”

“Oh trust me,” Mike snorted. “He creeps everyone out. I think nearly all the tenants on our floor are part of a running bet about when he’s finally gonna croak. I think a woman named Kali is running it. You could join it if you want?”

“I’d love to,” El smiled. She was suddenly very aware of Mike’s gaze on her and tucked a flyaway hair behind her ear.

“Great,” Mike replied, voice suddenly soft. “So, um, should we head towards checkout then?”

They quickly made their way to the counter and after El had paid, left through the doors into the chilly Chicago air.

“Since we’re heading in the same direction, we could walk together?” El asked hopefully. “You could drop your things off at yours before coming to my place? We live on the same floor after all.”

“I’d like that.” Mike agreed. The goofiest grin spread across his features.

Mike Wheeler and El Rich both had only been expecting a quick run to the store for breakfast food. What they hadn’t expected was getting a date with their cute new neighbor and sharing said breakfast food for the date, instead. But somehow, neither of them could find it in them to complain one bit.

**Author's Note:**

> This is for Jo (elizabthturner) who is everybreatheverymove on here. She mentioned this scenario fitting Mileven first and is currently sick so I figured a fic would brighten her day. Special thanks to the Mileven Warriors (now Mileven Depression) group chat cuz we have fun like no other and they helped me with this fic like they always do!
> 
> Follow me @IffahAMughal on twt and Oceanspray5 on tumblr.
> 
> Also, pls review as it makes me really happy and encourages me to write future fics faster too. Constructive criticism is appreciated too.


End file.
